Your private guide will meet you at Kusadasi port with a sign written “Your Name“ on it, anytime you want. After greeting, we will have 20 mins drive to Ephesus.
We will start visiting one of the main highlights in Turkey, Ephesus, one of the 12 cities of Ionian League (an ancient Greek district on the western coast of Asia Minor) is located near Izmir. As a port city it was a major departure point for trade routes into Asia Minor. Walk through history along marble streets lined with wonderful public buildings, among them The State Agora, Odeon, Memnius Monument, the Temple of Domitian, , Polio Fountain, Curetes Street, The Trajan Fountain, The Baths of Scholastica, Hadrian Temple, Latrina, Celcus Library, the gate of Mihridates and Mazues, Commercial Agora and The Grand Theater are two of the most impressive buildings in Ephesus. Grand theatre was built in 3rd century B.C and it was later expanded to 24.000 spectators by the Romans in the 1st century A.D.
We will stop at Artemis Temple where used to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world as our last stop before drive back to Kusadasi town center and port.
Drive through Gazi begendi park where you will have the best view of Kusadasi town, Marina and Kusadasi port. Drop of to Kusadasi port or Kusadasi town center
Our private tour to Ephesus, Terrace houses and Sirince village with Tansu was fantastic. Tansu was an amazing guide who explained everything about Kusadsi and Ephesus and provided perfect recommendations for where to eat in the village. It was a really lovely and enjoyable day out. Thank you Tansu for the fabulous day and all the laughs. Would highly recommend.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. Ephesus is absolutely worth visiting more than once. We saw new things.
My wife and I were picked up at the ship as directed and driven comfortably to Ephesus with our guide Olgu. Olgu was extremely knowledgeable, spoke fluent English, and kept our interest for the entire 3 hour tour. After Ephesus, we also did a wine tasting and had a Turkish lunch, where, yes, my wife bought a rug, which now sits beautifully in the entryway in our house. We were returned to the ship in good time. We understand that Olgu guides other tours, including a tour of all seven cities in the letters in book of Revelation. My wife and I both thought that Olgu would be excellent at that tour based on his breadth knowledge and interesting descriptions during our tour.
Hello Today we had a wonderfull wxperience with tour guide Orkun to Ephesus inclusive of the house of the virgin Mary and the old town. Very informative and knowlegable. To be recommended. Helene
Wonderful tour from start to finish. Our tour guide was Cem and he was fantastic! This was the best tour we have ever had! Easy pick up and Cem walked us all the way back to ship pier entrance. He was very informative and fun to be with. Don’t hesitate to book this tour!
Marvellous and educational experience. Perfect and excellent guide. Recommend to everyone this attraction.
We had the absolute best time on this tour. Our guide was excellent, and we learned a lot about Ephesus and the beautiful country of Turkey. 10/10 experience.
Very good tour. Tour guide Gürkan was excelent very knowledgeable. Given choice to visit carpet, leather or pottery stores no problem just say no to this if you dont want to go.
Very pleased with our tour experience using Ephesus Shuttle. Booked via their website for the Ephesus tour with Terrace Houses for our cruise stop in Kusadasi. Comminication was prompt and professional. The small group tour was welcomed and allowed some flexibility to the day. I believe the cruise ship excursion offerings were all in much larger groups and also more expensive. Our tour guide Ozlem was fantastic. She allowed for a personalised experience and was very informative. I would definitely choose this company again when visiting Turkey
It was great to be picked up early and be the first ones at Ephesus with no one there. The guide was knowledgeable and explained all the areas to us. We really enjoyed our time, and the transport was able to drop us back in town where we had brunch after the tour. I was really glad we weren't forced into a shopping stop. Awesome experience!
In looking for options to your Ephesus, I saw Ephesus Shuttle mentioned positively several times and then saw that pricing was very competitive. We were very pleased with our tour and your guide, Yavuz. He did a great job sharing a broad range about Turkey and especially Ephesus. He also helped with finding an amazing place for lunch. I would definitely use Ephesus Shuttle again.
The experience was excellent value for money and 'Gem' was a very helpful and had a lot of knowledge about Ephesus. We got picked up from the cruise and dropped off and I think the transport alone may have cost the same as we paid for transports, tickets and a guide. Everything was on time and went as planned.
Ferda in Ephesus Shuttle was very responsive to my queries before booking to help me clarify some matters about mobility needs. We were met on time at the meeting point by our guide Erşan who brought us to our driver and transportation that was just a short distance away. We only had a short time in port so it was welcome that we were efficiently transported to Ephesus and Erşan expertly guided us through the site ensuring we were just ahead of the large coach parties. He was knowledgeable, friendly, sharing lots of facts and connections with language we use every day, and he shared insights in to his life in Türkiye as well as the history and culture of Ephesus. We would have missed a lot if we had not had a guide! We wanted to go to Ephesus only and that’s all we did so we were back at the port in plenty of time. Entry fees were included, plus we had the choice to go in to the terraced houses for an additional fee that had been flagged in advance. We appreciated being able to decide on the day if we wanted to go or not and due to reduced mobility issues we didn’t go there. We had a very enjoyable time, Erşan the guide was great, transportation was clean, the driver professional and safe. All in all I would recommend Ephesus Shuttle to take care of your needs for a port excursion to Ephesus.
Our guide Gonca was excellent and offered us options to customize our day that made it a hit! Our group ranged in age from 13 to 83 and everyone enjoyed it. We saw all the highlights of Ephesus at a pace that worked for everyone. Don’t skip seeing how the rugs and ceramics are made!
We went as a big family from a cruise. We had a great time, it was super informational with interesting facts about not only Ephesus but Turkey as a whole. From pick up to drop off we were accommodated. We even had a baby and picked up a car seat. Great experience overall and well worth the reasonable cost!
Excellent experience with Ephesus Shuttle. I booked directly through their website and the communication was prompt and clear. Meeting our guide after getting off the cruise ship was very easy. Emre, our guide, was excellent - friendly, knowledgeable, great energy. We had 6 adults in our family travel group, and while online descriptions indicated that up to 10 might be in a van, they assigned a van just to the 6 of us. The van was spacious also, not a small one like I assumed it would be - very comfortable for the tall people in our group. We loved the lunch at the rug place and really enjoyed the pottery stop too. But you don't have to do any of that if you don't want. There was no pressure to go there. It was a fantastic day! Everything was very professional. Highly recommend!
We had a great time with our guide Yavuz . He is extremely knowledgeable about the history of Ephesus and Turkey in general. We had two young girls with us, he made sure they were included and explained things to them as we went. Do see the Terrace houses, they were a highlight for all of us. We were given enough time to view the sites and given suggestions for where to purchase souvenirs. My only complain is asked to go to a restaurant for lunch and I guess I should’ve had specified we wanted a reasonably priced one. It was the most expensive meal of our month long trip through Greece. Do you own research and choose your own restaurant and check the prices before you sit down. If you aren’t happy ask to go somewhere else. It’s your holiday
Selenay Was a great guide. We had a wonderful time. She picked us up at cruise ship and had us back on time. Only took us where we wanted to go. Would diff book again with them. 5 stars all around.
We had a great tour and really enjoyed our day. Our tour leader was on time and was very knowledgeable. Only problem was the crowds and the queue to get into places. It was an extremely hot day which did not help. We would have no hesitation booking this company again.
Very informative tour which explained Istanbul and its history.
We had a wonderful experience with Nejdet. He was extremely knowledgeable about Ephesus and the culture- systems in the region. He talked in a very entertaining,and professional manner, while still sharing the history of the location. We thoroughly enjoyed the small group setting and believe it was worth the cost ( cheaper than cruise line.)
We had a wonderful tour with Selda. We were met at the cruise terminal promptly. Selda was extremely knowledgeable and made our tour both educational and enjoyable. She let us explore at our own pace, and gave us time to take photos, and directed us to the best spots to take them. We would highly recommended her and your company for anyone wanting to visit Ephesus. We wanted a small group tour, and your price is so much better than what cruise ships charge.
Outstanding service! From the moment we contacted for Ephesus Shuttle for initial information until after our tour, every interaction was quick and first-rate! Fevzi was our point of contact - he made sure our meeting place was well-defined and our tour guide was exceptional. We booked a private tour for 2 couples - our tour guide clearly explained where we were going and gave us options for other experiences. One of our guests had a special request and our tour guide Emre, was able to accommodate her request even though it required a shift in the schedule. Excellent service all around.
We had an excellent experience on our tour. Our guide Ganca was wonderful. She made our tour personalised to our interests. Her knowledge of the site and historical background made everything come alive. From beginning to end it was all done with excellence including our driver and getting picked up at the port. I would highly recommend this company.
We had a great tour of Ephesus with Aykut - he was able to give an in-depth and informative tour and keep us all interested. The pickup and drop off from the cruise was perfect Would highly recommend if in Kusadasi for the day. Go to Curio travel website direct to make the booking
Outstanding!! Our guide Ilknur was absolutely amazing. She was so knowledgeable and a pleasure to go on the tour with. Very organize and great communication in booking. There were no hidden costs and they took care of the entrance tickets. 10/10 would book again!
Fantastic small group tour. Great tour guide - very friendly and knowledgeable and lovely vehicle too. Ephesus site is very hot so tour was long enough to see all the main sites but not too long.
My wife and I did the "Private Tour 6 Ephesus - Artemis Temple - Basilica of St. John" tour that is listed on the EphesusShuttle.com website in mid-June of 2024. The driver was Ilhan and the tour guide was Özlem, who studied American history and culture at university, and was well-versed on ancient, Ottoman, and modern Turkish history. She is extremely knowledgeable and approachable for any questions. Despite it being such a hot day, she could tell that my wife and I were very interested in the various myths, architecture, politics, economics, and social hierarchy of historical Ephesus, so she was happy to take us back in time with stories, myths, and facts about the various monuments, politicians, and workers that once traversed Ephesus. We also visited the Terrace Houses (a must to get a good sense of the socioeconomic conditions of the elites), which was a highlight. I would also recommend taking up the guide on the visual experience - it's part of the tour, has free A/C, and gives your guide a break on a hot summer day to hydrate and just take some time out for themselves. We also felt that Özlem could easily read the room, and could tell that we weren't interested in shopping for handcrafts, carpets, or souvenirs. She and Ilhan asked if we were interested, and we said we weren't interested. The issue never came up again. With that said, I would always recommend a private tour of Ephesus when you can. Because of the shear beauty and history of the site, there are so many groups, and some people in these larger groups are bound to be interested in souvenir shopping, so it makes it more challenging to not stop by these handicraft shops. Also, it's important to know that the tour companies have relationships with these stores/vendors and the guides don't likely make a significant cut (many work for multiple tour agencies to make a living), they're just doing what their told to advertise these stores. If it is of any concern, the van that picked us up in Izmir and took us back was extremely comfortable. A/C full blast when wanted, table, water, etc. And the driver got us to and from Ephesus safely and quickly. We left at 8AM and got back to Izmir by 3:30 PM having spent 4 hours at Ephesus, some time at St. John's Basilica, and dropping by the site of Artemis' Temple. In summary, it was an extremely memorable experience, and all of that is credited to the diligent efforts of Özlem and Ilhan. I would highly recommend Ephesus Shuttle and Curio Travel for your private guided tour of Ephesus.
We had am amazing tour with Mr. Inan who who was an art historian and anthropologist. He could answer any question we had about Ephesus. He met us right at our cruise ship and even contacted us when the ship changed the dates we were in Turkey. Going as a small group was much better than the ship's large group tours and the price was better as well. We added the terrace houses to our tour which is a must see. Ephesus is one of the most extensive and preserved Roman sites I have seen.
My tour was done by Yavuz and by far the the most knowledgeable tour guide we had throughout our vacation learning about ancient Rome, Greek, Christian, and the history of their churches and supermarkets.
Yavuz was an awesome guide. Very easy going, patient and provided great information on the sites. Would recommend him as a guide anytime!
We ended up as the only members of our "small Group." Our guide was very educated and extremely informative. Ephesus itself is unreal. We learned so much more than some others who booked a large group at a much greater expense. We would highly recommend this "group" experience!
We had a terrific time with Ephesus Shuttle. We selected this tour for a port day in Kusadasi while on a Mediterranean Cruise. Our guide met us at the designated place, and we boarded a clean comfortable van for our drive to the Ephesus archeological site. This is a place not to be missed. The guide was friendly, fun and informative. I would recommend this tour without hesitation.
The trip was AMAZING!!! We had a mixed group of ages ranging from 10 to 69. The tour guide took EVERYONE into consideration as we moved through. She gave us plenty of time to enjoy at our own pace but still kept us on track. I HIGHLY recommend the tour.
I was referred to Ephesus Shuttle by a friend who encouraged us not to book our tour of Ephesus through the cruise line. I am so glad we chose Ephesus Shuttle! Our experience was first rate, from pick up to drop off (right at the cruise dock) our experience could not have been better. Our guide was amazing, friendly and knowledgeable, the transportation was clean, new and air conditioned. Our private tour was simply perfect, with no maddening crowds or hassles of any kind.
We had a wonderful time. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. We also visited a ceramic a factory and a handmade carpet store.
Great tour with just the right amount of time. Only six in our group and the tour guide I think her make was Inaur was very knowledgeable about all the sites. Totally recommend this tour, we were able to see a lot plus still have plenty of time in port to shop, eat, and more shopping!!
My teenage daughters and I were so pleased with this tour by Emre. We were a bit nervous going to Turkey for the first time. Emre and the driver were excellent. Emre met us at the Kusadasi cruise port. The transportation to/from Ephesus was smooth and efficient. Emre’s clear explanation of the Ephesus history and culture were better than we imagined. Great English communication!! We are 3 young adult women travelling and we hoped and prayed for an overall safe experience- we were so thankful for a perfect day with Emre and Ephesus Shuttle!!
We took this tour during a day visit while on a cruise. We took the tour as a group of six ranging in age from 77 to 12. We were met at the port with a sign and our guide Nilghun guided us to the van. The van was a very nice Mercedes 16 passenger van and was impeccably clean. We took about a 20-30 minute drive to Ephesus and we’re completely blown away by the history of it all. Nilghun was an outstanding guide. Her passion for her country shined through all day long. Additionally, she did a great job of controlling the pace for our group and also found quiet Plato talk even though it was very busy. If you visit Ephesus the terrace houses there are a must see. After Ephesus we went to a carpet making place where they show how hand made carpets are still traditionally made. After explaining the process they showed us many variations of carpets for sale. I was skeptical at this point but honestly there was no pressure at all to buy anything. Obviously they want you to purchase something but it’s not a hard sell at all. The carpets are beautiful and the process is something you should really see in person. Even if you aren’t in the market to shop for a carpet I would recommend the stop. It’s worth 30 minutes to see the history in action. We were then taken back to the port with plenty of time to get back to the ship. This tour was much cheaper than the cruise excursions and you get a much more detailed experience.
Our fu ide Yavuz was very friendly and he máde the rozé very easy for us. Everything was smooth and well organised
The Tour was very well organized. Our guide Yavuz was very informative and picked an easy route for us. It was a wonderful tour!
The trip was amazing, I never had a guided trip quite like this one. Yavuz was an incredible tour guide, I can’t recommend him enough.
Our guide Ms Gonca was more than superb and provided for a very informative and highly entertaining narrative throughout the duration of the tour. We had picked this particular tour as it lasted just under 4 hours and it was a small group tour. We ended up as a group comprising six people. As mentioned earlier Ms Gonca was simply fantastic pointing out and explaining numerous points of interest as well as allowing the group to move at a comfortable pace through the site As it was quite hot, we had a couple of rehydration stops which were very welcome and would strongly recommend this particular tour if. like us you want the low exertion but thoroughly informative option of touring Ephesus. One highlight was meeting Garfield, the most famous of the resident cats at the site .
Emre was an amazing guide, very nice and accommodating and extremely knowledgeable and interesting. He also showed amazing patience given the range in ages in our group. Highly recommended.
We had a wonderful time. The tour was relaxed and we had enough time for photos. We could also visit a hand-made carpet shopand a ceramic shop. The guide Mr. Melih is very knowledgeable and explained everything really well.
Ozzy was an amazing guide. At the conclusion of the tour he showed us an amazing Turkish restaurant and even set up a Turkish bath. Specifically ask for Ozzy…
We were a party of 10 friends who took this amazing tour. Ephesus is a place everyone should visit at least once. This was my third visit. Yavuz was a great guide and his suggestion of starting at the ''end'' was great. We avoided lots of the crowds but didn't miss a thing by doing the tour in reverse. The van showed its age and needs a refit, but that was a minor issue. It was roomy and gave lots of space to everyone. I would highly recommend booking your Ephesus adventure with them.
Our guide, Yavuz, was waiting for us when we left the port area ten minutes ahead of the meeting time. He was knowledgeable and his excellent English meant that he was able to pass on his insights to us with ease and the right amount of humour. He took the tour of the site at our pace and was attentive to our needs.
We, my family of 4, had a private tour. We were picked up in a timely manner from the Cruise port. We had more than enough room in the vehicle. We were first shown, from the bus, sites around the Ephesus area- like the temple of Artemis. This was a very brief stop. It wasn't important to us, so we were okay with that. I'm sure if we would have wanted more time, Mr. Melih would have given us time. Once Ephesus was open we entered. It was amazing! Mr. Melih stopped and explained frequently. As site got more full, we were thankful for our private tour. The groups of 30-50 were scattered and disorganized. We appreciated that we had personal attention. We had added the lunch option, so when were were done, were were taken to a rug demonstration site which was also the location of the lunch. We didn't appreciate the high pressure sales (the only downside of our tour). The lunch in the garden area was amazing and fit our needs as well (vegan and gluten free options). As our ship was only in port a half day, we were taken back to the port at this point. We arrived with time to spare.
Excellent tour from a knowledgeable guide. We wanted to mainly focus on Ephesus, given the hot day and limited attention span of teens to learn about yet more historic areas. This half day tour was just a ticket. The team of two, (which includes the driver) arrived right on time, was very courteous, and customized our tour as needed - for example, we stopped by a factory that makes Turkish Delights to try them out. Highly recommend.
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